SHOW SCHEDULEPerforming Saturday - Wednesday at 7:00pm and 10:00pm. Show is dark Thursdays and Fridays.

Michael Jackson ONE will not perform on the following dates in 2013:

August 22 – 30October 9December 5 – 20

Apr. 20, 2011MANDALAY BAY TO HOST 'PERMANENT' MICHAEL JACKSON SITE

Cirque du Soleil, Mandalay Bay and the estate of Michael Jackson announced Wednesday that "an unparalleled and extensive relationship" will be unveiled at a press conference next Wednesday.

"A permanent celebration to The King of Pop in Las Vegas" will be announced, according to a press release.

The three parties announced last November that "The Immortal" world tour would include a Dec. 3-11 engagement at Mandalay Bay.

Wednesday's press conference will open with comments from Jerry Nadel, Cirque's senior vice president of resident shows division before a panel of four representatives fields media questions.

The panel participants will be Daniel Lamarre, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cirque du Soleil, John Branca, co-executor of The Michael Jackson Estate; Jamie King, writer and director of "The Immortal" world tour, and Chuck Bowling, president and chief operating officer of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

The tour will begin in Montreal in October 2011 and travel to select North American cities for the first leg.

It is anticipated the rest of the schedule and other cities will be announced Wednesday, along with details of the "permanent relationship" with Mandalay Bay.

The Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip plans to open a sprawling entertainment complex that includes a Jackson-themed lounge, an interactive memorabilia museum and a theater designed to replicate the iconic refuge of the deceased musical legend, Cirque du Soleil president Daniel Lamarre said Wednesday.

“This place, Mandalay Bay, is going to become the home of Michael Jackson in many, many ways,” he said at an announcement at the casino attended by Jackson’s older brother, Jackie.

John Branca, co-executor of Michael Jackson’s estate, said the attraction will offer fans a permanent place to celebrate, as well as give them the opportunity to see some of the objects displayed at Neverland Ranch.

“Very few fans would ever get to visit Michael’s Neverland Ranch because of its remote location,” he said.

Plans for the Las Vegas lodestone, set to open in 2013, are part of the budding business relationship between the acrobatic troupe and the pop star’s estate.

Cirque du Soleil’s homage to Jackson kicks off in October, with the most expensive show in the French company’s history. The $57 million “Michael Jackson, The Immortal World Tour” will open in Montreal and hit 30 cities including New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The tour’s Las Vegas stop at Mandalay Bay will kick off with a fan convention in December as a preview to the permanent Jackson attraction.

Concept art for the touring show’s set prominently features a massive tree symbolic of a favorite oak that was outside Jackson’s Neverland bedroom. The singer nicknamed it the Giving Tree and had a perch built atop it where he wrote music and sometimes slept.

For Jackson’s “Thriller,” tombstones overwhelm the set in a nod to the music video’s horror-film motif and gyrating zombies.

Excerpts from Jackson’s music videos will be part of the 90-minute show, with no specific performer representing Jackson.

“Immortal” will also feature as-yet-unreleased songs that Jackson finished before his death in 2009.

The tour then goes to Europe, Lamarre said, while Cirque producers open a more intimate, theatrical show at the new Las Vegas theater.

Jackson’s estate and Cirque will each own 50 percent of both projects and share equally in the cost of putting on the productions.

Tour director Jamie King said he searched for acrobats, dancers and musicians from across the world who could capture Jackson’s spirit and showmanship.

“I feel like I am not doing it alone, I feel like I am doing it with Michael as my co-director all the way,” said King, who has directed concert tours for Madonna, Rihanna and Celine Dion and is a former Jackson back-up dancer.

Jackson admired the Canadian troupe’s work and attended Cirque shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. His support, Lamarre said, helped build the company.

Cirque du Soleil has since become as ubiquitous on the Las Vegas Strip as all-you-can-eat buffets or buzzing slot machines, with shows in recent years honoring Elvis Presley, Celine Dion and the Beatles.

Mandalay Bay, long home to Disney’s The Lion King musical, has never hosted a Cirque show before.

Mandalay Bay President Chuck Bowling said the Jackson attraction will strengthen the casino’s financial health in future years.

The theatrical performance will take over The Lion King stage when that show closes in December, and some venues in the casino will have to be relocated to accommodate the mega attraction.

Reveling in the success of the Michael Jackson touring show “Immortal,” Cirque du Soleil President Daniel Lamarre has revealed details of the full-time-residency King of Pop production set to open at Mandalay Bay in May.

Daniel told me: “We are talking May 23 for the first-night of previews, with the grand gala opening June 21. The Montreal studio right now is moving and shaking with Michael Jackson rehearsals. It will be totally different from the touring show.

“The tour was a rock arena concert, but this will be highly theatrical. That’s the big difference, but there will still not be a Michael Jackson character in it.”

Cirque has still not decided on the show’s title, and the creative team is working on the visuals. Daniel explained: “For the moment, we want to keep all the lights focused on our new ‘Zarkana’ at CityCenter. Once it’s well established, which will take a couple of months, we’ll come back to you and start really talking about the new Michael Jackson show.

“However, I don’t want to confuse the two Michael shows. They are totally different. We have already learned from the touring show that people want to listen and see his complete hits. They don’t want a medley of songs; they want the full song.

“So it won’t be 23 songs in the theatrical version. We will probably have fewer, but we will play it full blast. None of the acts in the touring show will be used in the theatrical show. They will all be brand new -- nothing will have been seen before.

“There will be a lot of acrobatic acts, but they will be characters with the storytelling. It will be very different than anything else we have done.”

Daniel told me that costumes and makeup are being finalized in the next two weeks: “We are a collaboratory! We are right in the middle of it. We keep trying new things and new challenges. Everything is very much on target with the construction at the theater in Mandalay Bay.

“You will be surprised with the changes there. … It is part of our signature. We love to change theaters in order to present our content the best way. … We will move the cast and crew to Las Vegas in March.”

I asked Daniel if it would be a re-creation of Neverland the audience would walk through. “We like the Neverland signature. You will see something of Neverland, but I don’t want to take you in the wrong direction,” he explained. “There is some Neverland, but it is not about Neverland. We have our own story line compared to other Cirque shows.

“It is an amazing combination of director Jamie King, who worked on the touring show, and a young man, Welby Altidor, who is the creative director. He has been with Cirque a long time -- he has grown with Cirque. He is really bringing something different to the signature of the show. “

Daniel told me that once the production is together and installed in Las Vegas, Cirque founder Guy Laliberte will then be here to finish the production and give the green-light go.

Meantime, “Immortal” continues to break records and win awards. “We won the most creative arena show in North America award from Billboard on Thursday, the night before ‘Zarkana’ opened. We are sold out everywhere in Europe right now. We set new all-time-record attendance records in Denmark. It’s the same wherever the show goes in. Last week, we were in Sweden and phenomenal records.

“It’s so big we are extending the tour by at least another year. It means for now, we will run it until the end of 2014 for sure. It’s headed for South America and Asia. Then we’ll return it to America and Europe to a lot of repeat cities where we were very successful and could have had longer engagements.”

I talked with Daniel at Gold Lounge in Aria before the “Zarkana” premiere Friday night. He summed up: “This is a very exciting night. It also is very interesting for us because it is the first time in Las Vegas that we opened an existing show, but all the excitement of a brand new show is here.

“The sound is a huge change from New York. It is much bolder here. The one thing that we had underestimated is how well the music, the set, fits in the Aria theater. This is pure luck because it was not planned that way.

“When I walked in the theater with Guy 10 days ago, he was overwhelmed. That is rare because Guy is very, very severe about the content of our shows, but when he felt, heard and saw the ultra-sound and everything else, he was really, really pleased.”

NEW MICHAEL JACKSON SHOW: Cirque du Soleil President Daniel Lamarre flew in for Shania Twain’s opening night Saturday, and at the Caesars Palace box office, he told me that his cast and crew of the new permanent Michael Jackson show will be arriving here in March for onstage rehearsals at Mandalay Bay. “Everything is on schedule. We still don’t have a show title yet, but we are very pleased with the way the project is developing and coming together.”

The new Cirque nightclub Light will open in the former Rum Jungle in March. The Jackson show opens in the former “Lion King” theater undergoing a transformation for previews beginning May 23, with the grand gala June 21. Daniel also told me that “Zarkana” at Aria is doing great box office, and Cirque and MGM Resorts execs are thrilled with ticket-sale numbers that are ahead of projections.

KENNY ORTEGA’S TIMELINE: Jackson’s “Thriller” and “This Is It” tour director Kenny Ortega also was at Shania’s opening party and confirmed that he’s developing Steve Wynn’s new show “Funhouse” that will open in Encore Theater at the Wynn next year.

“I am spending the next four months turning dreams into reality. It’s the greatest challenge of my life, but we know it can be done,” he told me. “We have found some very interesting and totally new and unique performers who will make the impossible possible. We should be able to make every one of Steve’s brilliant ideas come to life. Then we can start developing the show in May and eventually the rehearsals for opening next fall. ‘Funhouse’ will be amazing and unlike anything ever seen before anywhere. Only Steve could create something so extraordinary and spectacular.”

Wicked Whispers & Racy Rumors! Exclusive news about the new Michael Jackson residency show headed to Mandalay Bay this spring. It will not have a title -- just a number. Cirque du Soleil officials are tight-lipped about the numeral they’ve chosen, so the guessing game begins.

I also have learned that the Montreal cast and crew move here to begin rehearsals on the nearly completed stage at Mandalay as of Feb. 18. One spywitness who saw the acts rehearsing in Montreal said the acrobats are the world’s best and exceed any other performed to date in any Cirque show.

Las Vegas, February 21, 2013 – The Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil today unveiled that Michael Jackson ONE™ will open and take residency exclusively at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino this summer. Directed by Jamie King, Michael Jackson ONE will start its preview performances on May 23, 2013 and have its official premiere on June 29, 2013. This entirely new show is the second creative project to be developed between Cirque du Soleil and The Estate of Michael Jackson after the top grossing Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, currently playing arenas in Europe as it travels the world.

The showMichael Jackson ONE is a state-of-the-art visual and audio experience creating a theatrical evocation of Michael’s creative genius. Guided and inspired by his music, four misfits set out on a transformative adventure. By journey's end, they will personify Michael's agility, courage, playfulness and love.

The nameMichael Jackson believed that all people are unique and equal, regardless of race or culture. His message was one of unity, harmony and hope for a better world. At once evocative and enigmatic, the name Michael Jackson ONE also presents a paradox: Michael was a multifaceted artist who strove to fuse together various musical styles and art forms. It is a fitting title for a unifying journey into the world of the King of Pop, the genius, the visionary, the One.

“This is our second project with the Estate of Michael Jackson which confirms how stimulating this creative partnership was meant to be”, said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. “Michael Jackson is an all-time phenomenal artist, both timeless and contemporary. As a creative challenge, this project is the ultimate. Through the use of cutting edge technology, we will produce a new Cirque du Soleil theatrical experience not only respectful of Michael’s legacy but also very distinctive from Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour.”

“We are guided by Michael’s own philosophy in all that we do. In preparing for this production, Michael’s message to the cast and crew for his This Is It concerts was foremost in our minds. He counseled them on what the audience experience should be: ‘They want wonderful experiences. We want to take them places that they’ve never been before. We want to show them talent like they’ve never seen before. We’re putting love back into the world to remind the world that love is important. WE’RE ALL ONE. That is the message. ’ We feel the same, and that is what we are delivering both to lifelong fans and those just discovering his artistic genius with Michael Jackson ONE,” stated John Branca and John McClain, Co-Executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson.

Chuck Bowling, Mandalay Bay’s president and COO, said, “The partnership with Cirque du Soleil and The Estate of Michael Jackson represents an extraordinary moment for Mandalay Bay. We are in the midst of a major transformation at this resort, introducing a new set of experiences for our guests. Michael Jackson ONE is truly the crown jewel in that transformation and we cannot wait to share this very special production with the world.”

Along with Jamie King—who started his career as a dancer on Michael’s Dangerous World Tour and also directed the arena touring show Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil—, Michael Jackson ONE will bring together the creative minds behind the Michael Jackson Estate, John Branca and John McClain, and the diverse talents of the following creators (creators’ bios are available on Cirque du Soleil’s press room at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/press/kits/shows/michael-jackson-one.aspx):

Preview performances for Michael Jackson ONE will begin on May 23, 2013 at Mandalay Bay.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES SCHEDULE:• Saturday to Wednesday at 7:00pm. There are no performances on Thursdays and Fridays.

TO RESERVE TICKETS:• Call 877.632.7400 or 800-745-3000• Go to www.cirquedusoleil.com/mjone or mandalaybay.com• Visit the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office or any of the MGM Resorts International box offices.

TICKET PRICES:• $69, $99, $130, $140, $150, plus LIMITED Gold Circle Seating. Prices do not include tax or fees.• Tickets are available 120 days in advance of the performance date.

Cirque du Soleil's second partnership with the estate of Michael Jackson aims to be a thriller.

Cirque's Welby Altidor tells USA TODAY that Michael Jackson ONE will begin performances May 23 and take up residency at the renovated theater at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The show is a partnership between Cirque and the Jackson estate. The official grand opening is planned for late June.

The 90-minute show will feature five dozen cast members, from dancers to acrobats (no one will portray Jackson), and offer "a very close encounter with the music of Michael Jackson" and with the late pop icon's artistic vision, Altidor, "director of creation" for ONE, says.

Unlike Cirque's current touring arena Jackson show, IMMORTAL, the Mandalay Bay production will be more intimate and interactive, Altidor says. "It's another story about Michael's genius," focusing on his No. 1 hits. "There will be experiences above (the audience), on the side and in the front."

Cirque had what Altidor calls "unprecedented access" to Jackson's master recordings and will use them. "At times it will feel like being in the studio with Michael," he says. Tickets go on sale March 7 at cirquedusoleil.com.

Michael Jackson pulled in an estimated $145 million last year from beyond the grave–tens of millions more than any living musician. A big part of that: his Immortal World Tour, a joint venture between the Michael Jackson Estate and Cirque du Soleil. It grossed $160 million in its first leg, tops among North American tours in 2012.

On the heels of that success, Jackson’s estate and Cirque du Soliel have announced another endeavor: Michael Jackson One, a brand-new show set to run indefinitely at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, set to debut in preview form on May 23rd, 2013. The official premiere will follow on June 29th, 2013.

“Michael Jackson is an all-time phenomenal artist, both timeless and contemporary,” said Cirque chief Daniel Lamarre in a statement. “As a creative challenge, this project is the ultimate. Through the use of cutting edge technology, we will produce a new Cirque du Soleil theatrical experience not only respectful of Michael’s legacy but also very distinctive from Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour.”

The new show means that Michael Jackson will soon be able to do something that no artist has ever done before: play two arena shows at the same time. Even as fans gather for the first performance of One in Vegas on May 23rd, the same thing will be happening on the other side of the world as the Immortal World Tour rolls into Nagoya, Japan. Just hours after the official Vegas premier the following month, Immortal will take the stage in Taipei, Taiwan.

Directed by Jamie King, the plot of Michael Jackson One will follow four misfits as they embark upon a musical, visual, theatrical adventure. The title of the show reflects its inspiration and recurring theme–unity and peace–the sort of themes Jackson explored in songs like “Man In The Mirror” and “Heal The World.”

Said estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain in a statement:

We are guided by Michael’s own philosophy in all that we do. In preparing for this production, Michael’s message to the cast and crew for his This Is It concerts was foremost in our minds. He counseled them on what the audience experience should be: ‘They want wonderful experiences. We want to take them places that they’ve never been before. We want to show them talent like they’ve never seen before. We’re putting love back into the world to remind the world that love is important. WE’RE ALL ONE. That is the message.’ We feel the same, and that is what we are delivering both to lifelong fans and those just discovering his artistic genius with Michael Jackson One.”

In addition to being a brilliant entertainer–taking millions places they hadn’t been through music and videos alike–Jackson was also quite a savvy businessman in his day (a theme I’m exploring in my upcoming book, Michael Jackson, Inc., due out next year for Simon & Schuster).

He outmaneuvered billionaires and music executives to acquire ATV, the company that owned the Beatles’ publishing catalog, for $47.5 million in 1985. That investment is now worth somewhere around $1 billion.

It seems Jackson the musician would have enjoyed the notion of his songs reaching potentially twice as many people through two Cirque du Soleil shows–and it’s likely that Jackson the businessman would have been quite pleased by the financial implications as well.

It’s about three months until the first preview of “Michael Jackson One” at Mandalay Bay, and Cirque du Soleil has already sold $500,000 in tickets the first few hours of the spectacle going on sale over the weekend exclusively to insider Michael Jackson and MGM Resorts club members. General tickets go on sale March 7.

“It’s going to be a blockbuster. That’s a staggering first-day sale,” I was told. In fact, it will be another 37 days -- June 29 -- until the monstrous production has its world premiere in the converted Mandalay Bay theater formerly home to Disney’s “The Lion King.”

Meantime, the touring “Immortal” show that also debuted at Mandalay Bay continues its global journey breaking records and winning awards, with box office sellouts in Europe as it heads to South America and Asia and plans for repeat cities in the U.S., keeping it on the road until at least the end of 2014.

The Jackson juggernaut continues -- and now the second show. The “One” cast moved into their new Mandalay Bay theater last Monday and showcased a hint of the ambitious project when the name “One” was revealed last week.

Director Jamie King says that it’s one of the longest pre-production schedules in Cirque’s history, if not the longest. The casting and Montreal training -- particularly of acrobatics never seen before in any production -- began in October.

“We are literally just in technical rehearsals now. I just spent the last four months living in Montreal in production rehearsals. Now we are in tech rehearsals here for the next few weeks, and then we go into all production rehearsals here. It’s a long run before the premiere,” Jamie told me. “Starting in March, I am here every day. It needs to be a long set of work. It’s ambitious, but for a great show, you need to have that much work put into it.”

Additionally, I’ve learned that Cirque founder Guy Laliberte will be here in March and April adding his masterful input. Officially, we’re told: “ ‘One’ will be a state-of-the-art visual and audio experience creating a theatrical evocation of Michael’s creative genius. Guided and inspired by his music, four misfits set out on a transformative adventure. By journey’s end, they will personify Michael’s agility, courage, playfulness and love.

“Michael believed that all people are unique and equal regardless of race or culture. His message was one of unity, harmony and hope for a better world. At once evocative and enigmatic, the name ‘Michael Jackson One’ also presents a paradox: Michael was a multifaceted artist who strove to fuse together various musical styles and art forms. It is a fitting title for a unifying journey into the world of The King of Pop, the genius, the visionary, the One.”

Here is my conversation with Jamie:

Robin Leach: When you say interactive, do you mean the experience is around you, in front of you and above you?Jamie King: Yes. I am not going to say it is unlike any theater we have seen before, but certainly what we are doing, our intention is to immerse the audience in the energy of our show, which is Michael’s energy and spirit. We want to make sure that they see and feel our costumes, see and feel the energy of our performers and acrobats just as you saw here today.

R.L.: So the cast will leave the stage?J.K.: Absolutely. They will leave the stage and integrate into the audience above you and around you, on the sides of you.

R.L.: You also were the director of “Michael Jackson Immortal,” so how tough was it to do a show different from a show you have already done? It has got to be the toughest.J.K.: I think at first the idea of it made me a bit nervous; I felt the challenge of it. I was so excited about another opportunity and knowing that it would be different because I know how to do a rock show. That was really what ‘Immortal’ was meant to be -- a rock/Cirque interpretation, arenas I get that -- but a theater show, to be able to do that, is really a dream for me. It already is a different show because it is in a theater, and once I got my head around that, a smaller, more intimate venue, it can be much more immersive.

The bigger challenge was the music. If I have to use the same songs because you know it is Michael’s hits, we want to make sure the fans in the audience feel Michael’s hits. I had those in ‘Immortal,’ so it was about making them different. How do I show them in a different way?

R.L.: Which is my next question. “One” presumably is based on the No. 1 hits that he had. Did he have enough hits to fill the show?J.K.: It is Michael Jackson, of course, come on! I didn’t start by counting Michael’s No. 1’s. I took his No. 1’s and then I inserted them in the show, but then I needed the story because we are doing a theatrical show this time around. There is much more story, it is much more story driven and fairytale-like, so because of that, I needed certain songs that weren’t No. 1’s at times for segues and interstitial moments to tell the story.

R.L.: Where does the storyline start? How old is he, and where does it finish?J.K.: It is in no way a chronological biopic story of Michael Jackson. It is a complete new fairytale in a Cirque way. We have created a new story, something that people may or may not get all the way, but we certainly do. And we think it is a great fairytale and journey to go on using Michael’s music.

R.L.: The theater was built to your specs because of what you are doing on an interactive basis? Unlike anything we’ve seen before?J.K.: Yes, for sure. It is immersive, and you will see with the visuals alone. They really wrap around in a way that is unlike any theater that I have ever seen. Call it the visuals wraparound theater.

R.L.: Did you get to spend all the money you wanted, or did you go over budget?J.K.: Do we ever get to spend all the money we want? Come on now! (Laughs) Do I ever go over budget? I feel like these are all questions that you could answer. You know my history. I tend to go over budget; ask Madonna!

R.L.: Is this the best show to date that you have done?J.K.: It is the most inspiring to me at the moment. It is something that is not completely finished yet, so I can’t say, to date, because it is not done.

However, as you’ll read in our interviews this week, Daniel Lamarre, Cirque’s president, and John Branca, Michael Jackson’s estate lawyer and executor, certainly believe that “One” is already the best show to date.